Predators Shutout the Jackets 3-0, Give Rinne His 4th Shutout of the Year

An easy two points they weren’t, but it was two points nonetheless. Pekka Rinne stopped 38 shots, Martin Erat had a goal and an assist, and the Nashville Predators were able to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 for the fourth time this season.

Further buffering the distance between them and the final spot in the Western Conference playoff hunt, the Nashville Predators didn’t have the simplest of times tonight in defeating a newly-invigorated Blue Jackets team.

As the Jackets continually peppered Pekka Rinne with shots throughout the night, Nashville would get 2nd period goals from Martin Erat and a powerplay marker from Mike Fisher, which would be enough to seal the deal. Although Shea Weber launched a near-200 footer at the end of the game for a garbage empty netter, the game was much closer than the final result on paper.

With Derek Brassard and Rick Nash combining for 11 shots between the two, Pekka Rinne faced his fair share of close calls in a bid for his fourth shutout of the year. The closest call was in the third period as Brassard had a wide open empty net with Rinne spralled out to the right side of the goal mouth. Brassard wrapped himself around and shot it directly into Rinne who was about 4 feet from the center of the net.

As Brassard looked up to the sky in agony of what had just happened, so goes the Blue Jackets season.

Nashville finishes their 3 game road trip going 2-1-0 and will come home Saturday for a 2-game homestand against Chicago (Saturday) and Columbus (Monday) before going on the road for 7 out of their next 10 games.

While Saturday’s matchup against Chicago will be a “measuring stick” type of game for the Predators, and a very tough divisional matchup, Nashville needs to grab as many points as they can as they play a string of ultra-tough opponents when they start their road trip: